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ALBANIA'S 

Rights and ClairrivS to Independence 

and 

Territorial Integrity 



Te Drejtat dhe Kerkimet e Shqiperise 

per 

Independence dhe Teresine e Vend it 



ALBANIA'S 

Rights and Claims to Independence 

and 

Territorial Integrity 



Te Drejtat dhe Kerkimet e Shqiperise 

per 

Independence dhe Teresine e Vendit 



^7'^ri 



1\ fc.51 



Copyright 1918 

by 

CHRISTO A. DAKO. 



ALBANIA'S 

Claims and Rights to Independence 

and Territorial Integrity? 



Ptolemy is the earliest writer who 
makes mention of the Albanians, but in 
fact the Skhiptars, sons of the Rock 
Eagle, as they call themselves, are the 
most ancient existing race in Europe, 
the autochthonous inhabitants of the 
Balkan Peninsula, which they have ruled 
for thousands of years before the Barbar- 
ians ever crossed the Danube. They 
are the descendants of the ancient Ma- 
cedonians, Illyrians and Epirotes, who 
are the offsprings of the Pelasgians. 

The Albanians are of a stock with 
striking physical and mental character- 
istics. History gives us a list of cele- 
brated Albanians, surprising both in 
quality and quantity for the wide field 
in which distinction has been won. In 
all ages the Albanians have forced their 
way to the front in the affairs of the 
world. Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus, 
Teuta,Scanderbeg, Ali Pasha of Janina, 
Mehmet Ali Pasha, the liberator of 
Egypt, Crispi, the great statesman of 

+ This is the text of the statement regarding Albania's 
rights and claims to independence and territorial integrity 
which was sent to President Wilson. 



Italy, and Trikupis, the statesman of 
Greece are but a few of these. 

The heroic resistance offered by the 
Albanians in the past against the Ro- 
mans, the Goths, the Huns, the Serbs, 
the Bulgars, and the Normans has been 
nothing short of marvellous. They have 
survived five great Empires and success- 
fully resisted every effort to denation- 
alize them. They have retained their 
language, their national customs and 
traditions throughout all centuries, thus 
proving to be incapable of being con- 
quered and assimilated. 

In the fifteenth century, while Europe 
was enjoying the blessings of Renais- 
sance, the Albanians led by the cele- 
brated hero George Castriota Scander- 
beg, overw^helmed more than a score of 
the Turkish armies, some of which were 
under the personal command of the Sul- 
tans and hindered them from carrying 
their invasion any farther into Europe, 
thus insuring peaceful times for the west- 
ern nations and enabling them to reach 
their high state of civilization and learn- 
ing. 

After the death of Scanderbeg our 
country fell into the misrule of the Otto- 
mans, who inaugurated a system of op- 
pression and persecution, and deprived 
4 



them of the sacred right to educate 
themselves in their own language while 
the toreign propaganda and intrigue had 
a wide open door and a free hand to di- 
vide and denationalize the Albanian na- 
tion.. This foreign propaganda and in- 
trigue was of such a nature that it ha^ 
not disappeared entirely from amongst 
us even in this country, which is void of 
such manoeuvres. 

Yet, the vitality of the Albanian na- 
tion as a whole is such that it kept in- 
tact the national characteristics, audit 
arose more than once demanding ter- 
ritorial integrity and independence; but 
some of the Great Powers, for the sake 
of their own interests preferred to main- 
tain the status quo of Turkey rather 
than sanction the independence of Al- 
bania. 

In 1912 during the Balkan war, Al- 
bania became the bone of contention of 
Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montene- 
gro, which were contemplating its full 
partition; but Italy and Austria stepped 
in to prevent such an eventuality. 
Meanwhile the Albanians under the 
leadership of their veteran statesman 
Ismail Kemal Bey Vlora proclaimed the 
independence of their country and ap- 
pealed to Europe for the integrity of 
5 



Albania. A month later the London 
Conference compelled by this, real and 
democratic force of the creation of this 
new state, and as a confession of faith 
in the principle of nationality, sanctioned 
the independence of Albania, which was 
proclaimed by the Albanians themselves 
on the 28th of November, 1912. 

Unfortunately a great part of the Al- 
banian territory was unjustly and un- 
wisely severed from its trunk and grafted 
on Montenegro, Serbia and Greece. Our 
greedy neighbors were not satisfied with 
what they got thru the London Confer- 
ence, but at once started and invaded 
the country in spite of their solemn dec- 
larations that they accept the decisions 
of the European Concert, and destroyed 
the machinery of the newly born state 
before it had time to get on its feet. 
The atrocities and massacres committed 
by the invading forces during the sum- 
mer of 1914, just preceding the European 
War, will remain a bloody stain in the 
history of the world. 

We are glad to learn that the Greek 
and the Serbian statesmen and patriots 
are beginning to realize that the natural 
field of expansion is not towards Southern 
Albania or "Epirus," or towards North- 
ern Albania or "Old Serbia," whose pop- 
6 



ulation is entirely Albanian by race, 
language and sentiment; but for Greece, 
towards the east, the islands of the 
Aegean Sea and along the Asia Minor 
coast; and, for Serbia, towards the north, 
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, etc. 

At present Albania, though neutral 
created by the European Concert, is 
overrun by the belligerent Powers, and is 
suffering in silence, even more than Bel- 
gium. 

Ever since the beginning of the great 
war the Albanians, faithful to the just 
cause of the Allies — who are fighting for 
the triumph of the sacred principles of 
nationalities — and loyal inhabitants of 
the U. S., are rejoicing to hear the noble 
voice and know of President Wilson's 
demands for the protection of the rights 
of the small nationalities. Our joy is 
greater now seeing the American flag 
crossing the Atlantic having as motto, 
"Reign of law, based upon the consent 
of the governed and sustained by the 
organized opinion of mankind." 

Considering that all attempts made 
in the past to solve the near East prob- 
lem which did not take into account the 
rights of the Albanian element have 
proved to be entirely failures; consider- 
ing that so long as a single nation any- 
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where remains under the heels of the 
conquerors, so long the peace of the 
world is insecure; considering that the 
peace following this war cannot be dur- 
able, cannot be permanent if ancient in- 
justices are perpetuated; considering the 
firm determination of the Allie^■ to fight 
for a final settlement, we are fully con- 
vinced that the great and noble princi- 
ples of the American nation will triumph, 
and that Albania, among other small 
nations vvill be granted her just claims 
for full political and economical inde- 
pendence and territorial integrity. 

The Albanians justly demand all 
lands in the west of the Balkan Penin- 
sula, which are inhabited by Albanians. 
The boundary can be easily followed 
on any map. From the Boiana river it 
keeps to the former Montenegrin fron- 
tier on the north till it reaches the dis- 
trict of Novibazar, south of Berane, 
whence it follows the river I bar to Mitro- 
vitza. It includes the railway line as 
far south as Kupruli taking in Ferizo- 
vik and Uskup. From Kupruli the 
boundary runs south to the angle of the 
Monastir railway near Fiorina between 
lakes Prespa and Ostrovo and then 
strikes east to a point nearly south of 
Lake Prespa, leaving out Kastoria^ 



whence it runs due south to the old 
Greek frontier. 

Wadham Peacock in his book, ''Al- 
bania, the foundUng state of Europe," 
speaking of the territory inhabited by 
Albanians and of thei-r claims says, 
"This attempt at the delimitation of 
the boundary would no doubt have been 
accepted by the London Conference if 
the Albainans were strong enough or 
popular enough to command a propa- 
ganda such as has been worked by the 
friends of the Greeks, the Bulgars and 
the Serbians, for it included the country 
in which the Albanians are undoubtedly 
in the majority, and in which the other 
nationalities have only maintained them- 
selves by the most unscrupulous religious 
and political intrigues." 

Mr. Rene Pinon, another impartial 
authority on the Balkan problem 
speaking on the same subject says: 
''Des plaines du Vardar a I'Adriatique 
de la Thessalie au Montenegro, I'Alba- 
nais est maitre par le droit du premier 
occupant et par le droit du plus fort." 

To mighty, just and freedom-loving 
America falls the task, yea the honor of 
defending the right claims of this 
friendless nation that it may enjoy the 
right of developing freely and peacefully 
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a civilization of her own, being entitled 
as a distinct nationality with its own 
race and language to the same status 
accorded to all other small states. 

Christo a. Dako. 
MiHAL Grameno. 



Te Drejtat edhe Kerkimet e 

Shqiperise per independence edhe 

per Teresine e Vendit.* 



Ptolomeu eshte i pari shkrimtar, i cili 
ben fjale per Shqipetaret, mire po Shqi- 
petaret, bijte te Shkabes Malesore, si- 
kunder ata e quajnevetene tyre, jane 
raca me e vjeter, qe ndodhet ne Evrope, 
ndenjesit autoktone te Sinisise Ballkanit, 
te cilen e qeverisne per mi j era vjete me 
pare se te kaperxejne Barbaret Tunen. 
Shqipetaret jane sterniperit te Maqe- 
dhonasvet vjeter, te Ilirianevet edhe te 
Epirotevet, te cilet ishin zbritesit e Pe- 
lasgevet. 

Shqipetaret jane prej nje brume me 
cilesi fizike edhe mendore te gquara. 
Historia na jep nje Hste Shqipetaresh te 
square si nga cilesia keshtu edhe nga 
sasia, edhe fushaten e gjere ne te cilen 
veperuan. Ne tere brezat Shqipetaret 
kane qendruare ne balle, ne punerat e 
botes. Aleksandri i Math, Pirua, Tevta, 
Skenderbeu, AH Pashe Janina, Mehmet 
AH Pasha, qe Hroj Misirin, Crispi, bure 
shteti i ItaHse, Trikupi, bure shteti i 
Greqise, jane ca nga keta. 

+ Ky eshte teksti shqip i Memorandumit qe ju dergua 
Prezidentit Wilson me 20 Korrlkut prej ZZ. Christo 
Dako edhe Mihal Grameno. 



Qendrimi heroik qe treguan Sqipe- 
taret ne koherat e kaluara kundre Ro- 
manevet, Gothevet, Hunevet, Serbevet^ 
Bullgarevet edhe Normanevet s'eshte 
m'e paket se nje gudi. Te bijte te Shka- 
bonjes permijetuan pese imperatori edhe 
udobisht kundreshtuan g'do perpjekje 
per t'i gkombesuar. E ruajtne gjuhen, 
zakonet kombetare edhe traditat ne tere 
brezat, edhe keshtu e provuan se jane 
nje komb qe nuku munt te vlhet nene 
thundre ose te tretet. 

Ne te 15-tin shekull, kur Evropa ishte 
dyke gezuar bekimet te Perlmdjes, Shqi- 
petaret nene udheheqjen te heroit tyre 
te fameshme George Castriota Scander- 
beg, muntne me shume se 20 ushteri 
Tyrke, nga te cilat disa ishin nene ko- 
manden personale te SuUtanevet vete, 
edhe keshtu i ndaluan t'a zgjatin push- 
timin e tyre me tej ne Evrope, edhe kesh- 
tu ju sigurua paqja popujvet perendimit 
edhe ju ndihmuan te harijne shkallen e 
larte te diturise edhe te qyteterimit. 

Pas vdekjes te Skenderbeut, vendi 
yne ra nene qeverimin te keq te Ottoma- 
nevet, te cilet nisneedhevune neveperim 
nje sistem shkelje edhe ndjekje kundre 
Shqipetarevet, edhe u mehuan te drejten 
e shenjte per t'u aresuar ne gjuhen e vet, 
kurse propagandes edhe intrlges huaj i 
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hapne dyerte edhe i dhane liri te plote 
t'e ndajne edhe t'e gkombesojne kombin 
Shqipetar. Kejo propagande edhe in- 
trige e huaj ka pasur nje te tille natyre 
sa edhe nukii eshte gdukur krejt nga 
redhi yne, edhe ne kete vent, i cili eshte 
i zbrazet nga te ketilla manevra. 

Me gjithe keto, fuqia jetore e kombit 
Shqipetar si nje trup eshte e tille sa 
mundi te ruanje te pa cenuara cilesite 
kombetare, edhe me shume se nje here 
u ngrit dyke kerkuar teresine te vendit 
edhe independencen; mire po disa nga 
Fuqite e Medha, nga shkaku i intere- 
savet tyre, e gjetne per me mire te per- 
mhaiine status quo te Tyrqise, se sate njo- 
hin edhe te vulosin independencen te 
Shqiperise. 

Me 1912, ne kohen te luftes Ballka- 
nike, Shqiperiau be kocke mosmareve- 
shjeje midis Serbise, Greqise, Bullgarise 
edhe Malit Zi, te cilat qellonin ndarjen 
e saj ; po Italia edhe Austria hyne ne 
mest per te ndaluare nje ngjarje te tille. 
Me keto e siper, Shqipetaret nene udhe- 
heqjen te veteranit bure Shteti, Ismail 
Qemal Bey Vlora, prokllamuan indepen- 
dencen te vendit tyre edhe i adresuan 
Evropes nje thirje per teresine te Shqi- 
perise. Nje muaj me von, Konferenca 
e Londres e shtrenguare prej kesaj fuqie 
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reale edhe demokratike qe krijoj kete 
shtet te ri, edhe si nje deshmin te besi- 
mit saj ne parimin te kombeslse vulosi 
independencen e Shqiperise, te cilen in- 
dependence e prokllamuan Sliqipetaret 
vehte me 28 te Vjeshtes trete 1912. 

Fatkeqerisht nje pjese e madhe e ven- 
-dit Shqiperise padrejtesisht edhe pa urte- 
sisht u ^keput nga trupi i saj edhe ju dha 
Malit Zi, Serbise edhe Greqise. Fqinjet 
tane lakmonjes nuku u kenaqne me ate 
qe muarne me anen te Konferences Lon- 
•dres, po per nje heresh nisne te shkehn 
vendin, me gjithe se kishin dekllaruar 
zyrtarisht se pranojne vendimet te Mble- 
-dhjes Evropes, edhe gkateruan maqi- 
nerinete ketij shteti qeposakishteUndur, 
me pare se te kete kohe te ngrihet me 
kembe. Ligesite edhe therjet qe u bene 
ne Shqiperi prej ushterivet invadore, ne 
vere te vitit 1914, pak kohe perpara luf- 
tes Evropjane do te mbeten nje leqe 
gjaku ne histori te botes. 

Gezohemi te mesojme se burat Shteti 
edhe patriotet te Greqise edhe te Ser- 
bise zune te kupetojne se fusha naturale 
per zgjerimin e tyre nuku eshte as Shqi- 
peri'e Juges ose "Epiri," as Shqiperi'e 
Veriut, ose "Serbia e Vjeter," ndenjesit 
€ te cilavet vise jane Shqipetare edhe 
nga raca, edhe nga gjuha edhe nga 
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ndjenjat; po, per Greqine, ne lindje, ne 
nisite te Detit Aegje, edhe ne Asi te Vo- 
gel; edhe, per Serbine, ne veri, ne Bosnje^ 
Herzegovine, Kroati, etj . . . 

Sot per sot Shqiperia, me gjithe qe u 
vendos prej Evropes te jete neutrale, 
eshte shkellur prej Fuqivet luftonjesve, 
edhe po vuan ne heshtje me shume se 
Belgjia. 

Qe kur se nisi lufta e madhe, Shqipe- 
taret, besnike te geshtjes se drejte te 
AHatevet te cilet po hiftojne per tri- 
umfin te parlmit te shenjte te kombesise 
edhe ndenjes besnike te Shtetevet te 
Bashkuara, po gezohen dyke degjuar 
zerin fisnik edhe ^yke mesuar kerkimet 
te Prezidentit Wilson per mprojtjen te 
te drejtavet te kombesivet te vogla. 
Gezimi yne eshte sot edhe me i math dyke 
pare Flamurin Amerikan te kaperxenje 
Atlandikun, dyke pasur si krye fjaler 
''Te mbreteruarit te nomit, dyke pasur 
si themel lejen ose dashjen te te qeve- 
risurvet edhe perkrahjen te opinionit te 
organizuar te njerezimit." 

Dyke ditur se tere perpjekjet qe u 
bene, ne koherat e kaluara per te zgji- 
dhur problemeneBallkanit, pa marender 
sy te drejtat e elementit Shqipetar, rane 
krejt; dyke ditur se sa kohe nje komp, 
kudo qe te jete, mbetet nene dhundre te 
15 



pushtonjesvet, aqe kohe paq'e botes 
eshte e pasiguruar; dyke ditur se paqja 
qe do te pasonje kete lufte nuku do te 
jete e c^endruarshme edhe e gjithemo- 
neshme, ne qofte se padrejtesite e me 
pareshme vazhdojne; dyke ditur qen- 
■drimin te patundur te Aliatevet per te 
luftuar per nje zgjidhje te sosur, jemi 
ploterisht te bindur se parlmet e medha 
edhe fisnike te popullit Amerikan do te 
triumfojne, edhe se Shqiperlse, midis te 
tjerave kombesi te vogla, do t'i jepen 
kerkimet e saja te drejta per indepen- 
dence te plote politike edhe ekonomike, 
si edhe teresia e vendit. 

Shqipetaret drejtesisht kerkojne tere 
viset ne perendimt te Senisise Ballkanit, 
te cilat jane te ndenjura prej Shqipe- 
taresh. Kufine te saj lehtazi munt t'e 
ndjekim ne ^'do harte. Nga lumi Bo- 
jana, kejo kufi pason kufine e vjeter te 
MaHt Zi, ne veri, gjer sa prek krahinen 
te Novipazarit, ne juge te Beranes,qe ku 
nis te ndjeke himin Ibar gjer ne Mitro- 
vice. Kufia pushton udhen e hekurte 
gjer ne QypruH dyke mare perbrenda Fe- 
rizovikun edhe Yskypin. Prej Qypry- 
Hse kufia drejtohet ne juge edhe pret 
udhe e hekurte Manastir Selenik prane 
Follorines, dyke shkuar midis Hqenevet 
te Prespes edhe te Ostroves, edhe pastaj 
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drejtohet ne lindje gjer ne nje pike, ne 
juge te llqenit Prespes dyke lene jashte 
Kosturin; se ketejml mer perseri drej- 
tlm jugor edhe dyke u zgjatur prek ku- 
fine e vjeter te Greqise. 

Wadham Peacock, ne libren e tij, 
"Albania, the foundling State of Eu- 
rope," dyke folur permi vendin ndenjur 
prej Shqipetaresh edhe per kerkimet e 
tyre thote, "Kejo perpjekje per te hequr 
kufine te Shqiperise, pa dyshim se do te 
ishte akseptuar prej Konferences Lon- 
dres, po te ishin Shqipetaret mjaft te 
forte ose mjaft popullore per tg koman- 
duar nje propagande si ate qe organi- 
zuam miqt'e Grekervet, te Bullgarevet, 
edhe te Serbevet, sepse pushtonte vendin, 
ne te cilin Shqipetaret me te vertet 
formojne shumicen, edhe ne te cilin \'ent 
kombesite e tjera qendruan dyke per- 
dorur intrigat me te dobeta fetare edhe 
politike." 

Zoti Rene Pinon, nje tjater shkronjes 
i paaneshme ne problemen e Ballkanit, 
dyke folur permi kete theme thote, 
"Prej fushavet te Vardarit gjer ne Adria- 
tik, prej Thessalise gjer ne Mai te Zi, 
Shqipetari eshte zot, edhe nga se eshte 
i pari ndenjes, edhe nga se eshte me i 
forti ne keto vise." 

Amerikes se fuqishme, se drejte edhe 



liri dashese i bije bara, po edhe nderi, 
per te mprojtur kerkimet te ketij kombi 
jetim, qe te munt te gezojne edhe Shqi- 
petaret te drejten per te gvilluar llrisht 
edhe ne paqtim qyteterimin e tyre dyke 
pasur te drejte, si nje komp i vegante, 
nga nje race e vegante, edhe me nje 
gjuhe te vegante, t'i jepet gjith ay shtet 
si edhe tere kombesivet te tjera te vogla. 

Christo a. Dako. 
MiHAL Gfameno. 



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